This is an excellent argument by Fr. Gary Dickson for just some of the reasons he sees the overriding superiority in the Traditional Latin Mass. As Father points out, there are other factors that could be added to the list too, but many of these were traditions that were never in fact abrogated for the Novus Ordo in the first place, e.g. celebrating ‘ad orientem’, and yet it appears they were nonetheless done away with right from the start! We shall need an entire new post to discuss all those ‘never abrogated’ parts of the Mass that for some inexplicable reason disappeared just the same when the NO came in. I would add to the list of reasons, the richness of the many Offertory prayers in the TLM that have sadly been omitted and greatly reduced in the NO Mass in this important build up to the Consecration. (Father does also give a mention to this in the comment section.) And even though this is not strictly part of the Holy TLM, I would also add as just one more reason in favour of the TLM – the reading of The Last Gospel from St. John and the lovely prayers after Low Mass. From Catholic Collar and Tie Today I am going to outline what it is that I prefer about the Traditional Form of Mass. I do not attempt to speak from a scholarly point of view in this post since I am not a liturgist; nor do I intend to deal with the altar-facing orientation, the use of Latin, Gregorian Chant or reception of Holy Communion on the tongue, since the New Form of Mass remains officially celebrated altar-facing, in Latin, with Gregorian Chant having pride of place in terms of music and the norm for reception being on the tongue. Indeed, complaints about ad-orientem, Latin, Chant and reception of Holy Communion on the tongue are contrary to the decrees of Vatican II and the Missal of the New Form of the liturgy. Here goes for a few brief thoughts then… The Prayers at the foot of the altar are, for me, an important overture to the celebration of Mass. They allow the celebrant to acknowledge his sinfulness before he steps into the Holy of Holies; the sanctuary. When celebrating the New Form of Mass we enter into the Holy of Holies as if by right, not by grace; without so much as a by-your-leave. I find this presumptuous. The genuflections are more frequent; they occur before and after each time the celebrant touches the Sacred Victim (Host, from the Latin ‘Hostia’, meaning Victim). In the New Form they are reduced to two: after having placed the Victim back on the altar, and once before the consuming of the Sacred Victim. The Signs of the Cross over the bread and wine before the consecration are reminders of how blessed is the act in which we engage (the Self-Sacrifice of the Risen Victim; the Lamb standing as though slain cf. Rev.5v6). After the Consecration the signs of the cross identify the Sacred Victim and remind us of the Cross on which He died. Kissing of the altar before each occasion when the celebrant turns from it to face the people and call them to prayer, reminds us that the altar is the symbol of Christ the Cornerstone and Rock of Ages. These kisses are frequent, and their duplication not excessive: frequent exchange of kisses between husband and wife both demonstrates and builds love. The silent Canon is non-negotiable. The silence of this moment wreaks of solemnity and awe, recalling the injunction of the prophet Habakkuk: “The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silent before him” (2v20).
